Stand-alone bathtubs are usually supplied water by free-standing plumbing fixtures disposed adjacent the bathtub and comprising essentially of water conduits and valve as well as a faucet whereby to introduce water within the bathtub through a faucet extending thereover. The drain conduit is usually part of this assembly. The faucet control handles are connected to a mixing valve to control the mixture of hot and cold water delivered to the faucet. Because this free-standing plumbing arrangement is visible due to the fact that the bathtub is a free-standing bathtub, not secured against walls, this plumbing hardware and accessories is usually made of solid brass which is usually polished and plated. These plated accessories may have various finishes such as brushed or polished nickel, oil rubbed bronze, antique copper or chrome and these accessories are very costly to produce due to the fact that there are many which form an assembly. Also, safety valves which control the supply of hot and cold water to a mixing valve are usually mounted closely spaced from the floor from which the supply conduits and drain extend. These are also visible and therefore also plated.
Another problem associated with the provision of accessories on stand-alone bathtubs is that it is difficult to equip the bathtub with non-standard accessories such as water pumps or air turbines if the bathtub is a hydro-massaging tub with jets provided in the sidewalls thereof or LED lighting to provide lumino-therapy as all of this equipment is difficult to conceal due to the stand-alone aspect of the bathtub. Therefore, it is difficult to equip such stand-alone bathtubs with a multitude of non-standard accessories wherein large component parts form part of these systems.